Bengaluru Slum Dwellers Protest Sudden Cancellation of BPL Cards

By Manisha Sahu, America News World
Bengaluru, India — September 25, 2025

A wave of protests has swept across Bengaluru as hundreds of slum dwellers and unorganised workers discovered that their Below Poverty Line (BPL) status had been revoked without prior notice. The abrupt cancellations have left many families fearing the loss of essential welfare benefits, including food rations, pensions, scholarships, and medical assistance.

On Wednesday, approximately 150 individuals, predominantly women from marginalized communities, gathered at the office of the Commissioner of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department on Cunningham Road. They submitted a formal letter to Commissioner V V Jyotsna, emphasizing the critical role of the BPL card as a lifeline for their survival. The protesters expressed their concerns that the sudden cancellations were arbitrary and lacked transparency, with unclear criteria for determining eligibility.

Citizen activist and advocate Vinay K Sreenivasa, who joined the protest, criticized the government’s approach, stating that the sudden cancellations were arbitrary and based on unclear parameters. He called for a review and revision of the criteria for BPL eligibility and advocated for the involvement of civic and social organizations in the verification process to prevent wrongful exclusions.

Protesters alleged that local fair price shops had begun displaying lists of families whose cards were set to be shifted from BPL to Above Poverty Line (APL). Criteria such as earning more than Rs 10,000 per month, owning a four-wheeler, not drawing ration for several months, or even filing a single tax return were reportedly used to disqualify families. Many workers argued that these measures are unscientific and fail to reflect the precarious nature of their livelihoods.

In response to the protests, Commissioner V V Jyotsna assured the gathering that families removed from the BPL list could file formal complaints with the department. However, she did not respond to phone calls or messages seeking further comment.

Earlier this year, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had emphasized the need to identify and gradually remove ineligible BPL ration card holders who fail to meet the criteria set by the central government. He had instructed officials that the card of a single eligible BPL cardholder should not be cancelled and that ineligible BPL ration cardholders should be given time to voluntarily return their BPL cards, after which action should be taken to cancel the cards by giving notice to them.

The protesters have demanded that the government review and revise the criteria for BPL eligibility, ensuring that the verification process is transparent and inclusive. They have also called for the involvement of civic and social organizations in the verification process to avoid wrongful exclusions. The issue has sparked widespread debate and concern among the city’s poor, who rely on BPL cards for access to essential resources.

As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how the government will address the concerns raised by the protesters and whether any changes will be made to the current BPL eligibility criteria and verification process.

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